I’ve often bought a loaf of Irish soda bread when I see it in the supermarket in early March, partly just for a change and partly because I do like substantial breads more than soft fluffy ones. When Stephanie linked to the soda bread site in her Saint Patrick’s Day post I clicked through to …
Author Archives: deanb
Sharpie
At some point (probably while washing breakfast dishes) Arlene called from the kitchen, “The hawk is here! It just buzzed the bird feeder!” We had seen a small hawk last weekend, under the trees across the driveway, eating something it had just caught. This time, it was on the snow beyond the apple trees. Arlene …
Maple Saturday
Usually Maine Maple Sunday is the third Sunday in March. This year that’s Easter, so a lot of sugaring operations had their open house yesterday. We went to a pancake breakfast at the Crescent Lake Community Center in Webbs Mills. My pancake was cooked really nicely — just done, not overdone — but there were …
Craig Listing
Two weekends ago, when we were in the Boston area because of my klez gig, we did some shopping from Craig’s list. My mom has a nice sewing box that opens up to reveal six shallow drawers or boxes, just the right size for spools and notions. Arlene has been seeing many things a lot …
TMI
Really, you might want to skip this post. I’m just recording it for my own information. Most of last week I had a major PITA. I don’t mean an annoyance, I mean a visit to the HMO and being sent downstairs to the surgeon. That was Thursday. Two percocets and lots of hot baths later, …
Deck Review
Just for review, here’s what’s happened to our back deck in Casco over the past month. In late February, we thought there was a lot of snow on it: By the beginning of March, there was more snow. Note that you can’t see so much of the railing in the front. Last weekend the railing …
Skiing
I’ve done cross-country skiing in recent years, but it must have been forty years since I had done any downhill. Matt (and Anne too) has asked me several times in the past few years if I wanted to go skiing. I had resisted until last Saturday (that would be March 15, I guess). It’s not …
Time out for a political comment
I didn’t watch or hear Obama’s speech yesterday, but I did read it at that link. All I have to say is, it will be a tragedy for the country, comparable to the failure to have elected Adlai Stevenson president or to having elected Reagan, if Obama isn’t elected, after that. On second thought, that’s …
Klez gig
I played in the band at a bar mitzvah last Saturday. Jim, the clarinetiest in the JCC klezmer band, had been asked by one of his neighbors to get a band together for the occasion. He spoke to Barry, the leader of the JCC band, who asked me to participate. So the three of us …
Quick bird report
I walked around the pond at lunchtime. Before I got to the real start of the trail I bumped into two people looking up into the trees. They were trying to find what was making a strange call. It was probably just grackles, but the people were from Sweden, not familiar with North American birds. …